(Late Submission)Attached please find a letter from the Telecommunications Industry Association requesting that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, as it establishes a timeline for administering the Broadband Telecommunications Opportunity Program (BTOP), expedite BTOP grant awards and attribute pre-existing infrastructure investments necessary to BTOP projects as in-kind contributions to the BTOP 20 percent non-federal match requirement.

(Late Submission)The City of Chicago is filing the attached comments with the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (Ã¢â‚¬Å“NTIAÃ¢â‚¬Â) of the U.S.
Department of Commerce and the Rural Utilities Service (Ã¢â‚¬Å“RUSÃ¢â‚¬Â) of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture in response to the joint request for
information on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Broadband Initiatives.

Docket No. 090309298-9299-01

If you require further clarification on the City of Chicago's comments,
please contact me, as I will be serving as the initial point of
contact.

We thank you for this opportunity to provide our input, and look
forward to the overall success of this important initiative.

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The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) will be a significant step toward closing the digital divide in education and economics, and bringing valuable resources and opportunities to all our children, in every community. But it canÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t be just wiring and hardware. Broadband investment Ã¢â‚¬â€œ through BTOP and the Rural Utilities Service Ã¢â‚¬â€œ wonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t bring the rewards we need unless it includes comprehensive digital media literacy programs for AmericaÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s kids and schools. That is why Congress listed among the purposes of the BTOP the importance of providing education, awareness, training and support to schools, libraries and other community organizations.

As we work to bring the economic and educational benefits of broadband to every home, school and neighborhood in the United States, we must also ensure that parents and educators are prepared to help children learn how to navigate the digital media world, including how to find age-appropriate and educational media, and how best to avoid dangers online. If we invest wisely in the digital media literacy and education that need to accompany broadband, we will create new jobs, encourage demand for broadband service, and prepare our children for the high tech jobs of the future.

To facilitate this investment, we propose two alternative strategies for funding education, awareness, and training within the broadband programs:

1. Give priority funding to broadband grant applications that dedicate at least 5-10 percent of the funds to partnering with a qualified non-profit organization to provide digital media literacy programs in schools and community programs in the area served.

2. Reserve a portion of the available funds for grants to non-profit organizations to partner with elementary schools, secondary schools, and other educational entities and community organizations to provide digital media literacy programs, including professional development and in-service training for educators, technology support and staff development, and curriculum development and dissemination.

Innovative digital media literacy tools are already being used in many independent schools, and in some public school districts with appropriate staff support. They are the key to a successful 21st century classroom and to improving student achievement. Common Sense Media and other organizations have developed digital media literacy curriculum materials. To serve the public interest, and make the most of our investment in broadband, we must bring these resources Ã¢â‚¬â€œ and the necessary support Ã¢â‚¬â€œ to schools and community programs all over the United States, especially in rural and urban underserved areas.

We appreciate your consideration of these comments and invite you and your staff to contact us with any questions.

>>> "Goldman, Jason" 4/14/2009 1:43:19 PM >>>
On behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, William L. Kovacs submitted
comments on 4/13/2009. However, there seems to be a technical error
with the posting of our comments. Clicking on the link to our
comments
results in a "Page Not Found" error. Please fix or advise me on how to
correct this problem.

Jaguar Communications comments on the ARRA program, specifically answering the questions posed under the portions on BTOP, NTIA, and RUS are attached to this email, of April the 13th, 2009. We will also post these comments on your website.

Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League (NCL) is the nation's oldest consumer organization. Our mission of protecting and promoting social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad is more relevant than ever in this time of economic turmoil and job uncertainty. To this end, we join with our colleagues like the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in applauding the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which includes more than $7 billion for broadband deployment.

For tens of millions of American consumers, broadband is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Unfortunately, minority, senior and low-income communities have been disproportionately affected by the widening digital divide. For these vulnerable populations, broadband provides an essential link to community resources, health care programs, and educational opportunities. Action to address the digital divide is especially needed today. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs due to the economic crisis. For them, access to broadband is essential in the search for a new job and financial security.

With this in mind, NCL strongly encourages the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to quickly, efficiently, and transparently disperse the funding from the stimulus to state and local leaders to begin to implement the broadband goals of ARRA. It is also imperative to get the mapping process underway quickly
so communities can accurately identify unserved and underserved areas and direct resources.

Widely available, affordable access to broadband for America's consumers is needed now more than ever. President Obama and Congressional leaders rightly recognized the important role that broadband plays in driving America's economic recovery and empowering its citizens. We urge you to respond to this challenge by putting the broadband stimulus funds to work as soon as possible.

Thank you for providing NCL with this opportunity and we look forward to working with you in the coming months as this program progresses.